Freezing apparatus



Nov. 21, 1950 T. w. THARALDSEN 2,531,087

FREEZING APPARATUS- Filed March 27, 1947 Sheets-Sheet l INl/QNT R fibu. 31 (1mm, M, Mws

Nov. 21, 1950 T. w. THARALDSEN FREEZING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1947 I v enro R Nov. 21, 1950 T. w. THARALDSEN FREEZING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 27, 1947 Patented Nov. 21, 1950 FREEZING APPARATUS Tharald Warberg Tharaldsen, Drammen, Norway Application March 27, 1947, Serial No. 737,541

In Norway November 28, 1945 3 Claims. (01. 62-114) This invention relates to freezing apparatus of the type wherein the goods are frozen in containers having heat conductive walls.

Previously known apparatus of this type have the disadvantage that the heat transferring surfaces (evaporating surfaces), which extract the heat from the goods, are apt to be covered by aninconvenient coating of frost rime or ice which increases the temperature difference between the frozen product and the cooling medium, and therebyhas a detrimental effect upon the freezing capacity of the apparatus.

According to the present invention this drawback is overcome in that the containers are carried through the freezing zone with their heat conductive surfaces in intimate contact with the heat-transferring surfaces (the evaporating sur faces). These surfaces may be the surfaces of bodies provided with cavities or in which tubes carrying the cooling medium are incorporated, or the surface of a plate which is-cooledby a cold air flow, or by being sprayed with a cold liquidor in some other manner. Due to the fact that the containers with the freezing goods are carried along in this manner with their walls in frictional contact with the heat transferring surfaces, an obstructive formation of rime on these surfaces is prevented.

In order to maintain the contact betweenthe container walls and the evaporating surfaces the containers may, according to the invention, be so made that the contact surfaces of the containers form comparatively acute angles to each other. The containers may be made in a wedge-like form with their smaller ends pointing downwards during the freezing process, and the evaporating surfaces may be arranged so as to form the same angle or angles. When the apparatusis so arranged that the weight of the containers and their contents is wholly or partly transferred to the evaporating surfaces, which are placed in wedge-like formation relatively to each other, a very intimate contact may be obtained with the heat transferring surfaces. The surfaces may also be kept clean in various ways, for instance by means of special scrapers, the desired result being that they must be easily kept clean.

The containers may be conveyed over the heat transferring surfaces by means of a rod, an endless chain or the like.

The containers may be connected to such conveyor means in such a manner that they are automatically slightly lifted when the resistance to the movement increases, whereby the pressure between the container walls and'the heat transferring surfaces decreases, whereas the containers z are, on the other hand, slightly lowered when the. resistance to the movement decreases. This arrangement also enables the freezing of the goods to be effected partly when the containers are at rest and partly during the movement of the same, the containersbeing adapted to disconnect themselves when the conveyor means is started even if they are frozen on to the evaporating surfaces during such halting periods.

The disconnection of the containers or a reduction of the resistance, where this is required during the movement of the containers, may also be obtained by arranging that the distance between the heat transferring surfaces is somewhat increased, contingently thereby that the surfaces are held against the side walls of the containers by means of springs, and that they are, at the same-timernoved somewhat in the same direction as the freezing goods.

The containers may be so made that the heat conductive walls of the same are hinged on to the bottom or in other manner yieldingly connected thereto so that the angle between the side walls may be varied and the containers completely opened if desired. The heat conductive Walls may conveniently be made more rigid than the end walls which may be somewhat flexible, e. g. they may be thinner and somewhat curved or bent at an angle. End walls of this type may also consist of flanges which are bent at an angle to the side walls or in some other manner are connected thereto and are so arranged as to overlap each other and/or to be slidable, one on the other,

Other features of the invention will appea from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the freezing apparatus on line 2-2 of Figure 1 and Figure 2 across section of the same. Figure 3 shows 'on a larger scale the containers and the connecting means between the same and the driving chain. Figure 4 shows the same in a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3, and Figure 5 shows the containers in position for emptying. Figures 6, 7 and 3 show a container in longitudinal and cross sections and as seen from above, respectively, and Figures 9, 10 and 11 are similar views of a container of another form.

In Figures 1 and 2, l indicates the containers, 2 the heat transferring surfaces (the evaporator) and 3 the endless chain for the transport of the'containers. The chain is driven by the arm crosses 4 and 5 in the'direction indicated by an arrow. As will be apparent from Figure 2, the apparatus is provided with six rows of containers which are carried along in the spaces between seven spaced evaporators. The containers are in the form of prisms of trapezoidal, wedge-shaped cross section and the evaporato-rs are so formed that the spaces between them are of corresponding cross. section, so that each container bears against an":evaporatoflon both sides.

When the containers have passed the evaporators and the goods are frozen, the containers are swung down and are carried by the. lower portion of the chain between heating plates 6 for the disconnection of the frozen goods from the containers so that they be removed through the door 1 in the bottom of the insulating housing.

which encloses the whole apparatus.

The portions of the products adjacent to the walls of the containers will have the lowest temperature when the containers leave the evap*-- These-same-portionshave to beorator surfaces. thawed in order toremove the-products from the apparatus. An additional after-freezing of the inner layers of the'products is therefore obtained if the product is given the opportunity of re-- maining in the frozen and unthawed condition after the cessation of the freezingprocessprep'er,

so that the temperaturesthroughout' the frozen goods'and container ma become approximately uniform prior to thepartial thawing process for the removal of thefrozen-goods.

This removal is achieved by effecting the emptying of the containersat a certain distance from the evaporator surfaces: hand it isof importancethat" the containersare cooled after therem'oval of the" product so thatthey are at thelowest possible temperature when they are re-charged; For-this purpose further easily deposited. on these cooling surfa'ceszil and 22. than on theevaporatorsurfaces 2, whereby the de-riming operationsare simplified, especially when more'sets of coolingsurfaces are used so that one set may be de-rimed when the other is in use.

In view of the fact thatiheatxis introduced into the apparatus duringthe: emptying: process, the zone wherein the emptying is carried out should beinsulated from the remaining: portions of the apparatus. The emptying: zone should also; as mentioned. above,. base arranged that the most favourable conditions are achieved firstly with a" view'to the temperature:equalization throughout. the frozen goods, and. secondly to the precooling of the containers.

The heating members 6 may, in similarity to the freezing-members 2,.be cast plates with incorporated tubes forcarrying the heating medium.

The connection between the containers l. and the conveyor chain 3 iseifected as shown in Figures 3 to-5 by means of links 8* of which there'are two pairs for each container and which are connected: to the'chain' by pivots 9 and to the com tainer orto a flange I0: projecting from the bot- On the other tom thereof by the pivots H. These links lie at acute angles to the chain in the direction of movement of the same, so that the links, when the containers are moved forward will always have an upwardly directed component of pressure onto th containers wihch therefore counteracts their weight. At the normal pressure between the container. walls, and the heat transferring surfaces these: forces-will counterbalance each other, but if the resistance to the movement of the containers i increased, the upwardly directed component will be increased to the eifect that the containers-are lifted.

Between one of the links 8 and one of the links of the chain there may be provided an adjustable spring. 12: which keeps the container raised to a suflicient height until it arrives in between the heat transferring surfaces, the container being at the same time charged with goods for freezing through the door l3. The chain may also be provided-with abutments 14 against which oneof the" links in each pair abuts when the containeris hanging inthe lower part of the chain, thereby ensuring that the correct angle of the links 8 relative to the chain is always maintained.

The container shown in Figures 6 to 8 is so made that one of the side walls is hinged on to the bottom by hinges and pivots l6, and the end walls' are made in the formof flanges I! and IB" which are bent from the side walls of the containers or connected to the same in another manner, and arranged adjacent to each other so as to allow a diverging movement of the side walls relative to each other.

In'the container shownin Figures 9 to 11, the

end walls are bent angularly so as to be slightly flexible and thereby allow a change in the relative mutual position of the sidewalls.

Each container or some of them may be pro- I vided' with a scraper i9 or' the like in a continnation of the end wall for the purpose of cleaning'the heat transferring of evaporating surfaces of the apparatus;

The apparatus according to the invention may be conveniently arranged for intermittent movement. of the containers, so that for the purpose of a quick freezing they are at first stopped between the. heat transferring surfaces and then, for the purpose of equalising the temperature 1 throughout the frozen goods, in a zone between these surfaces and the heating surfaces, thenv again between these heating surfaces for the disconnection of the goods and removal from the containers, and. then finally in the zone of the apparatus wherein the containers are cooled prior. to they re-charging.

Iclaim:

1.. Anapparatus. for freezing. food products in containers of heat conductive material, com-- prising spaced plane refrigerating surfaces and conveyingmeans for conveying the said containers betweenthe said refrigerating surfaces with their side walls inslidingcontact with the surfaces theconveying means comprising anend- P less chainto. which each container is connected by means of substantially parallel links which by one end are pivotally mounted on the chain andby the other end pivotally attached to the container, and which lie at an acute angle to the. chain; in the direction of movement of the sameso' that the links upon increasing resist-- anceagainst the movement of the container apply a pressure component to the same directed outwardly from the chain.

2. An. apparatus as claimed. in claim l, where-' in spring means are provided in connection with the said links, tending to increase the outwardly directed pressure component on the container.

3. An apparatus for freezing food products in containers of heat conductive material, comprising spaced plane refrigerating surfaces and conveying means for conveying the said containers between the said refrigerating surfaces with their side walls in sliding contact with the surfaces, the containers having a wedge shaped cross section with its apex directed against the conveyor means, and the refrigerating surfaces being disposed at the same angles as the side walls of the containers, so that the contact pressure between the said container walls and the refrigerating surfaces may be increased by a wedging action of the container between the said surfaces.

THARALD WARBERG THARALDSEN.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,847,956 Giger Mar. 1, 1932 1,932,887 Giger Oct. 31, 1933 1,998,431 Birdseye Apr. 23, 1935 2,215,486 Stone Sept. 24, 1940 2,268,551 McMatton Jan. 6, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 430,082 Great Britain June '7, 1935 

